Voltage-regulator.



UNITED STATES Patented November 24, 1903.

ALEXIS LE BLANO, OF NEVV'YORK, N. Y.

VOLTAG E-REG U LATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 744,771, dated November24, 1903.

Application filed February 18, 1903. Serial No. 148,909. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I,ALEXIs LE BLANO, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of New York, in the borough of Manhattan and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inVoltage-Regulators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention is a voltage-regulator and circuit-controlling deviceadapted for use in storage-battery-chargin g systems wherein thecharging-dynamo is driven at a variable speed.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple device which willeffectively and automatically maintain the voltage of the chargingdynamo substantially constant during the charging operation and whichwill automatically out out the battery in case the voltage drops to anabnormally low point and will again out in the battery when the normalcharging voltage is regained.

My invention is especially adapted for antomobile and marine purposeswhere the storage battery is used to supply current for theigniting-spark of an internal-combustion motor; but the invention is notlimited to such use, as it is obvious that it will be available as avoltage-regulator in other situations such, for instance, as inrailway-car lighting, where the battery is charged from a dynamo drivenfrom an axle of the train.

My invention also includes aswitching device by means of which thepolarity of the current in the primary of the induction-coil can bereversed at will to equalize the eftect of the current on thetrembler-contacts and whereby only half of the battery is in use at atime, so that a reserve force is always at hand when occasion arises.

My invention comprehends the use of a resistance in the field-magnetcircuit of the charging-dynamo and an electromagnetic de-' vice whosestrength varies with the voltage of the main circuit, arranged to varythe amount of resistance in the field-circuit, to thereby compensate forchanges in the maincircuit voltage.

The details of the invention will be more fully brought out inconnection with the ac companying drawings, in which Figure l is aperspective view of the improved voltage-regulator and the circuits andapparatus operating in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is ahorizontalsection through the upper part of the voltage-regulator, including theelectromagnet. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the regulator through theresistancechamber,and Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken at right anglesto Fig. 2 and through the resistance and cut-out chambers.

A indicates a block of hard rubber, glass, or other suitable insulatingmaterial. This block contains two vertical chambers C0 and b, communicating with each other near the bottom by a passage a. I prefer tocall the chamber athe resistance-cnamber and the chamber b the cut-outchamber. These chainbers contain aquantity of mercury, (indicated by 0,)which is free to flow from one to the other through the passage referredto. The resistance-chamber contains two carbon or graphite pencils d and6, respectively, arranged vertically therein, being supported bysuitable metallic heads f, having bindingscrews for wires and projectinginto the mercury and nearly to the bottom of the chamber,as shown. Inthe upper end of the cut-out chamber 1 provide a metallic terminal g,suitably supported in a metallic head, also pro vided with abinding-screw. The block A also contains a cylindrical chamber h, whichcommunicates with the upper end of the resistance-chamber through thepassage t'. I call this chamber the water-chamber, since it is filledwith water, the quantity being such as to also fill the space above themercury in the resistance-chamber. The front side of the water-chamberis closed by a flexible diaphram 7c, fitted water-tight thereto by meansof a clamping-ring Z.

on is an electromagnet of the solenoid type, mounted concentrically infront of the diaphragm and having a movable core or plunger n resting atone end, which is of non-magnetic material, against the center of thediaphragm and projecting outside of the magnet at its opposite end.

For the purpose of making the necessary wire connections the blockcarries three binding-posts 0, p, and g, respectively, the post 0 beingelectrically connected with the body of mercury by a metallic plate 1',having a pin which reaches into the body of mercury, as shown in Fig.4:.

The armature of the charging-dynamo is indicated by 25, its field-magnetcoils by it, and the storage battery by s.

The circuits will be traced in connection with the description of theoperation, which follows. The Weight of the column of mercury in thecut-out chamber is sufficient when the apparatus is not working to forcethe diaphragm 7t outward, the pressure being communicated through themercury and water, the charging-circuit being thereby interruptedbetween the terminal g and the surface of the mercury, as willhereinafter appear. In this condition also the level of the mercury inthe resistance-chamber is at the highest point. When the dynamo isdriven, the strength of its field-magnet u and of the magnet wtincreases with the speed, and the voltage of the armaturecircuitlikewise builds up. The field-magnet circuit may be traced as follows:from dynamo-brush 1 through field-magnet coil to, wire 2, binding-post19, wire 3, resistance-pencils d and 6, through the mercury to pin andplate 7, binding-post o, and wire 5 to brush 6 of the dynamo. Thus thefield-coil is in circuit with the resistancepencils (1 and e, and atstarting the greatest possible portion of such resistance isshortcircuited by the mercury. It will be seen that the electromagnet mis in parallel with the field-coil a, as follows: from brush 1 by wire 7to the magnet-coil, wire 8 to post 0, and wire 5 to brush 6. As thevoltage of the dynamo rises magnet m becomes strengthened and graduallyforces the diaphragm 7o inward, displacing the water behind it andlowering the level of the mercury in the resistance-chamber,whileraising its level in the cut-out chamber until finally when the voltagebecomes sufficient to charge the battery the surface of the mercury inthe cut-out chamber connects with the terminal g in the upper endthereof and completes the battery-charging circuit, as follows: frombrush 1 by wire 7 and wire 9, binding-post (1, wire 10, battery 8, wire11, terminal g, the body of mercury, plate 7", post 0, and wire 5 tobrush 6. Further increases of speed of the dynamo result in givinggreater strength to the magnet m, which forces the diaphragm fartherinward and correspondingly lowers the level of the mercury in theresistance-chamber, which short-circuits less of the length of thepencils, and

consequently increases the resistance in the field-magnet circuit, whichlowers the voltage of the dynamo notwithstanding its increase in speed.Reversely, a decrease of speed weakens magnet m and allows the mercuryto rise in the resistance-chamber, decreasing the resistance in thefield-magnet circuit and lowering the voltage. The tendency of theapparatus therefore is to maintain a substan tially constant voltageafter the battery has been cut into the chargingcircuit. If the speedshould drop abnormally, the weightol' the mercury in the cut-out chamberovercomes the magnet m and the charging-circuit is broken at theterminal 9, thus preventing the battery from reversing the dynamo.

In the distribution of the current I have arranged the circuits so thateither the dynamo or the battery can supply the translating device ordevices, so that if the battery is fully charged the translating devicestake current direct from the dynamo, and if not fully charged theconsumed current flows from the battery and the dynamo current chargesthe battery. The translating device is here represented as a pairofsparking terminals o in the secondary circuit of an induction-coil I.The primary circuit of this coil includes the usual vibrator or tremblery'and terminates at the pivotal points of a double-pole switch. (Shownin dotted lines.) The battery is tapped in the middle, the branch 12,leading therefrom,connecting with the contacts 13 and 18. Wire 15 leadsfrom one outside terminal of the battery to contact 16, and wire 17leads from the other outside terminal of the battery to contact 14.V'Vith the switch in the position shown the primary of theinduction-coil receives current from one-half of the battery onlythrough the wires 12 and 15. This circuit can be maintained as long asdesiredsay during the outward trip of the automobile. Then the switchcan be thrown to the opposite position to engage with contacts 14 and18, whereupon current will flow to the primary from the other half ofthe battery through wires 12 and 17, and in this position it will beseen also that the direction of current through the primary coil isreversed. This circuit can be maintained as long as desired say duringthe return trip of the automobile. The reversal of the switch changesthe direction of the current in the primary coil and across the contactsof the trembler, and thus produces an equal effect upon thetrembler-contacts.

It will be obvious that the design of the block and of the partsattached to and mounted upon it may be altered without departing fromthe spirit of my invention. I may prefer to use a wooden or even ametallic block and incase therein glass tubes or vessels for the mercuryand water. Glass, being a secure holder of mercury, may be preferable toany other material. It is also obvious that the nature of the resistancematerial used for the pencils d and a is a subject for selection. 1 mayalso use other material than water for the liquid behind the diaphragmand may even use a gas or otherfluid.

For automobile purposes the device will be very small and can be securedto the side of a battery-box, where it will occupy very little space andrequire but little attention.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. In a voltage-regulator fordynamos, the combination of a body of conducting liquid,

a resistance-conductor projecting into said liquid and included in acircuit of the dynamo, a body ofnon-conducting fluid above the surfaceof the body of conducting'liquid and an electromagnetic device adaptedto exert pressure upon the surface of the conducting liquid through thenon-conducting fluid, substantially as described.

2. A voltage-regulator for dynamos, consisting of two chambers, onecontaining mercury and the other containing water, the latter connectingwith the upper end of the mercury-chamber, a resistance-conductorprojecting into the mercury-chamber and adapted to be more or lesscovered by the mercury, a diaphragm forming one wall of the waterchamberand an electromagnet whose armature controls said diaphragm,substantially as described.

3. In a voltage-regulator for dynamos, the combination of a suitablecasing containing two vertical chambers communicating with each other attheir lower ends and containing a body of mercury, a circuit-terminal inone chamber with which the surface of the mercury connecting the mercurywith said terminal,

substantially as described.

at. A voltageregulator for dynamos, consisting of a suitable casingprovided with two communicating chambers, a body of mercury contained insaid chambers, a circuit-terminal above the surface of the mercury inone chamber, a resistance-conductor in the other chamber projecting intothe mercury therein, an electromagnetic device adapted to alter thelevel of the mercury in the chambers, said resistance-conductor being incircuit with the dynamo and a translating device in circuit with saidterminal, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I subscribe my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

ALEXIS LE BLANC. Witnesses:

FRANK S. OBER, WALDO M. OHAPIN.

